Takeup and everting delivery means for circular knitting machines



Nov. 2, 1965 J. E. KIENEL 3,214,944

TAKEUP AND EVERTING DELIVERY MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 22, 1958 INVENTOR:

JOSEPH E. KlENEL ATTORNEY.

Nov. 2, 1965 J. E. KIENEL 3,214,944

TAKEUP AND EVERTING DELIVERY MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES FiledApril 22, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS FIG. 10

INVENTOR.

JOSEPH E KIENEL AT TORNEY.

United States Patent 3,214,944 TAKEUP AND EVERTING DELIVERY MEANS FORCIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Joseph E. Kienel, Acworth, Ga., assignor toThe Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey FiledApr. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 730,186 11 Claims. (Cl. 66149) This inventionrelates to circular knitting machines, and is particularly concernedwith takeup devices for maintaining appropriate tension on the materialas it is knitted and is further concerned with means for everting anddelivering finished knit products from the knitting machines.

While various aspects of the present inventive concept may beappropriately applied to a wide variety of knitting, netting and textilemachines, the invention as here presented by way of example is designedas an improvement over the type of knitting machine disclosed in theUnited States patent to Robert H. Lawson, No. 2,709,352. Such machinessuccessively knit individual stockings which are delivered from themachines as each stocking is completed. Prior to the invention of theabove patent, pneumatic pressure has been applied in assisting thedelivery of knitted material from the needles. One of the features ofthe Lawson patent is the provision of a grab takeup device through whicha uniform gravity tension is applied to the entire length of stockingduring the knitting operation. Such uniform tension is essential in thesatisfactory production of ladies sheer hosiery.

Since the tensioning takeup devices conventionally drop by gravity asthe leg and foot portions of the stocking are knitted, they tend toremain fixed with respect to rotary movement. However, since the body ofthe stocking is both rotated and oscillated during the knitting cycle,this tendency of the takeup device to resist such rotary and oscillatorymovements of the article frequently imposes strains and distortions ofthe leg and foot sections which militate against the uniform productionof high quality hosiery.

It is also a common expedient to provide in apparatus of this generaltype pneumatic means for initially engaging the takeup device with thefirst welt for discharging the completed article from the machine. Suchmeans deliver the article as knitted, i.e., right side out. Since, asmanufactured, the stocking toe is left open for subsequent looping, andsince the stocking must be inside out when looped, a further ste ofeverting the stocking is required when it is delivered from the machineright side out.

It is therefore among the primary and more general objects of thepresent invention to provide novel and improved mechanism for knittingmachines by which appro priate tension is applied to the materialformed, and further to provide novel and improved means for deliveringstockings from the knitting machine.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide a takeupdevice in which the movements correspond to the rotary or reciprocatorymovements of the material as it is knitted, so as to preclude orminimize the application of adverse tensions which would militateagainst the production of uniform high quality hosiery.

Another important specific object of the present invention is to providemeans for everting the formed article as an incident to the deliverythereof from the knitting machine.

In accordance with the present invention, the first of the abovespecific objects is attained by mounting a gravity type takeup devicefor sliding movement upon an element actuated with the dial of theknitting head for rotary or oscillatory movement therewith and providinginterconnection in such manner that without inhibiting the gravitationaltension applying movements of the takeup device, such device will rotateand oscillate with the dial, and hence with the stocking, thusprecluding contortional strains which might adversely affect thefinished article.

The second specific objective above referred to is attained inaccordance with the present invention by the use of a pneumatic articledischarge tube the mouth of which is located in or adjacent the knittinghead, the arrangement being such that when the article is released fromthe tension takeup device and from the needles of the knitting head, theupper or toe end of the finished hose is drawn into the tube with theleg and top welt sections following, and thus the article is deliveredfrom the machine in everted or inside out condition ready for loopingwithout any further operation.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention are obtained through the provision of novel and improvedstructural arrangements, individual elements and combinations, andinterrelations of parts, as will be more apparent from consideration ofthe following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing, in which like characters of reference designate correspondingparts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross section view showing the construction andarrangement of one preferred embodiment of the present invention asapplied to a conventional form of knitting machine for the production ofseparately knit individually delivered hose.

FIG. 2 is a detail vertical cross section of the upper part of thedevice of FIG. 1 showing the grab takeup device open for reception ofthe welt of the stocking being formed.

FIG. 3 is a detail side elevation of the takeup release mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a detail side elevation of the lower portion of the structureof FIG. 1 showing the takeup device in its midposition during theknitting operation.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the takeup device at the endof the knitting operation.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 showing the ejector tube inposition after knitting operation is completed and the article is beingdelivered from the machine.

FIG. 7 is a detail horizontal cross sectional view through the takeupdevice along the line 77 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a detail cross sectional view of the base of the apparatus.

FIG. 9 is a detail side elevation of the cam mechanism for rotating thetube to article delivering position.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the electro-pneumatic control systemfor the apparatus of the present invention.

In considering the present disclosure, it will be understood that myinvention is not generally concerned with the structure and operation ofthe knitting machine itself. The drawings and description are thereforelimited to such novel and improved structures of the knitting machine asrequired for an understanding of the invention. It will of course beunderstood that the machine to which the invention is here shown asapplied is conventional and well known in the art. For details of theconstruction and operation of such a machine generally, reference may behad to the United States patent to R. W. Scott, No. 1,282,958, issuedOctober 29, 1918, as well as the Lawson patent referred to above.

In general terms, the invention as here presented for use in a knittingmachine of the type referred to may be characterized as providing a grabtakeup device operable to engage the first knit welt portion of thestocking and to apply downward tension as the stocking is knit by movingvertically by gravity on a central hollow tube on whichrit is freelyslidable but keyed to for rotary and/or oscillatory movement therewith.During the knitting operation, the tube operably engages the dial of theknitting head to be rotated and/or oscillated in unison with the headand thus synchronously with the rotary and oscillatory movements of thematerial being formed. Upon the completion of each individual articleformed by the machine the tube is lowered from the dial. The tube isthus opened for the reception of the adjacent upper end of the article,such as the toe of knitted hosiery. Pneumatic pressure differentialapplied to the tube at the upper end will move the upper end of thefinished article inwardly and downwardly in the tube in a manner toevert the article which is then ejected from the machine by pneumaticpressure differential in an inside out condition ready for looping.

The details of construction and operation by which the takeup is engagedwith and released from the material, and whereby the tube is moved toengage and disengage the dial to be opened for the reception of thematerial, as well as the means for registering the lower end of the tubefor discharge of the article and the means for applying pneumaticpressure differentials will of course be fully discussed in thefollowing specification.

It will be understood that an electro-pneumatic system is employed forthe control of certain instrumentalities, and such a system is herediagrammatically illustrated; however, the control of such system aswell as various other elements of the present apparatus is responsive tovarious control and timing apparatus of the machine itself. Since suchinstrumentalities are well known in the art the details are not shown ordescribed.

The conventional parts of a knitting machine of the type referred to, toillustrate the interrelations therewith of the structure of the presentinvention, include the needle cylinder of a rotary cylinder circularknitting machine and the rotary dial 11 to which motion is imparted bythe needle cylinder 10. The needle cylinder 10 is supported in theconventional assembly indicated at 12 and is activated through a gear13. The conventional cylinder rising tube is shown at 14, and there ismounted thereon a cable winding mechanism indicated at 15 in which thecable 16 extends over the pulley 17 to engage the grab takeup mechanismof the present invention. The upper end of the needle cylinder 10 istapered out wardly, and there is mounted within the top end thereof aring 18 having a smoothly curved inner contour formed with the taper ofthe open upper end of the needle cylinder so as to smoothly guide theknitted material downwardly in the needle cylinder. These parts formpart of the present invention only as they combine and cooperate withthe novel structure about to be discussed.

The grab takeup mechanism of the present invention includes acylindrical cup 20, the walls of which are slotted as at 21. The base ofthe cup 20 is formed with a projecting annular rim 22 adapted to beengaged by a releasing mechanism, hereinafter described, when the takeupdevice is to be released at the termination of the knitting operation ofone complete stocking. The cup 20 is slidably mounted on a cylindricalsleeve 23 and is designed for rotation with the sleeve and/or tooscillate therewith as the sleeve rotates or oscillates with theinternal tube 24 upon which the sleeve is in turn mounted. Movement ofthe sleeve 23 with the tube 24 is insured by the formation of a keyway25, extending longitudinally of the tube, which receives key 26 in theform of an inwardly projecting stud mounted through the Wall of thesleeve. On the upper terminal end of the sleeve 23 there is provided anannular flangelike clamp member 27. During the knitting operation, thecup is forced upwardly about the sleeve 23 by a coil spring 28surrounding the sleeve, the lower end of which engages the lowerterminal flange 29 formed at the lower end of the sleeve, while theupper end of the coil engages the base of the cup. In

this position the clamp member 27 is located at the upper end of the cupto clamp between it and the inner face of the upper end of the cup thefirst knit open end of the stocking. At the initiation of a knittingcycle, the sleeve 23 is raised with respect to the cup and against thetension of the spring 28 by the upward movement of a lower companionsleeve 30 at the upper end of which is mounted a flange 31 which isadapted to abut the end 29 of the sleeve 23 when the cup is in itsupward position and in contact with the shoulder formed by annular guide18. In this relation a part of the cup will be retained against furtherupward motion and the sleeve 23 will move to the position shown in FIG.1 where the clamp is raised substantially above the upper periphery ofthe cup to permit entrance into the cup of the first formed welt portionof the stocking. The original entrance of this welt portion into the cupbelow the clamp may be accomplished, as has been done before, throughthe use of air jets which are not here shown and which form no part ofthe present invention. After the welt is located within the cup theclamp 27 with the tube 23 is lowered to engage the welt between theclamp 27 and the inner upper periphery of the cup 20 through the actionof the spring 28, the sleeve 23 having been released by the head 31 ofthe lower companion sleeve 39. A like releasing action of the Welt isaccomplished at the end of the knitting cycle for each individualstocking.

The lower companion sleeve 30 is supported from a non-rotary verticallymoving table 33 which is guided in its movement by engagement withvertical rods 34 supported on a table 35 and engaged at the top with aninternal ring 36 mounted within the cylinder rising tube 14. The table33 is engaged by the end of the cable 16, which is operated by themechanism 15 to raise the table and its tube 30 shortly after thebeginning of each knitting cycle, so as to open the cup by the relativeupward movement of the clamp member 27. After the welt has been receivedwithin the cup, the table 33 and its tube 30 are lowered by themechanism 15 so as to permit the cup and the tube 23 to fall by gravityduring the knitting'of the leg and toe portions of the stocking, aboutthe exterior surface of tube 24, thereby supplying tension to insure auniform knitting action.

The table 35 is fixedly supported by standards 40 which are united attheir upper ends by a retaining ring 41, and the table 35 is centrallypierced by an aperture 42 through which the tube 24 is mounted andthrough which the tube slides. The tube itself is supported from avertically reciprocating table 43 actuated by engagement with the pistonrod 44 of the cylinder 45. This construction is such that when the tube24 is raised with the table 43 by action of the cylinder 45, the upperend of the tube sliding through the sleeve 23 will be forced against aclutch plate or resilient Washer 46 carried on the under face of thedial by a headed securing member 47.

This arrangement is such that when the table 43 is lifted to operablyengage the tube 24 with the dial 11, the tube 24 will be rotated and/oroscillated with the dial and hence through the key interconnecting, thesleeve 23 will also rotate and/ or oscillate with the tube. In theknitting operation, it will be understood that at time the dial isrotated and with it the material being formed. At other times the dialis oscillated which in turn oscillates the material. By the presentconstruction it will be seen that the tensioning takeup device includingthe cup 20 will be caused to move with the same motion as the dial 11,and thus no twisting torque will be applied to the material as wouldtake place if the cup and clamp 27 remained stationary or left danglingwith respect to rotary motion as it drops by gravity to tension thematerial.

The knitted stocking. everting mechanism includes the tube 24, themechanism by which the tube is raised and lowered including the table 43and the cylinder 45, as well as a release mechanism which engages thecup when it is at its lowest position to move the cup against the biasof spring 28 so as to withdraw it from the clamp to release the articleso that pressure applied at the top of the tube will move the hose ineverted condition through the tube for final discharge. The releasemechanism includes a pivotally mounted lever 50 having forwardlyextending furcated arms 51 and being pivoted as at 52 from an olfset arm53 carried by support 54 secured to one of the vertically extendingmembers 34. The outer free end of the arm 50 is engaged by wire 55operated by conventional mechanism in time sequence at the conclusion ofthe knitting operation. Normally, the arm is pivoted in counterclockwisedirection from the position shown in FIG. 3 to clear the peripheralflange 22 of the Cup so that the cup may pass downwardly below the arms51 at the termination of the knitting cycle, at which time the lower endof the tube 23 will rest upon the head 31 of the companion tube and alsoat such time the table 33 supporting the tube 30 will rest upon theplate at the lower end of the structure. When the finished stocking isto be released, the wire will apply tension to rock the arm 50 inclockwise manner to a position shown in FIG. 3, whereupon the arm 51will engage the flange 22, moving the cup downward against the bias ofspring 28 and thus disengaging the cup from the clamp 27 to release thestocking.

Upon release of the stocking, air cylinder 45 acts to move the table 43downwardly, thereupon contacting central aperture '56 thereof with atubular nipple 57 carried on the supporting base 58. Upon such contactair pressure is supplied through the nipple to an internal duct 66 frompipe 59, duct 60 extending upwardly the entire length of the tubeterminating near its upper end in a return bend 61 which directs airdownwardly in the tube. Thus, since at this time the upper end of thetube has been withdrawn from the dial by the downward movemerit thereof,such pressure is applied to the toe of the released stocking to move thestocking toe first inwardly in the tube and downwardly therethrough, thewelt having been released from the cup in the manner aforesaid. Upwardmovement of the body of the stocking over the tube as the toe moves intothe tube is assisted by the injection of air under pressure midway upthe tube through the pipe 63, such pressure also acting to startmovements of the toe section into the tube. As the stocking moves intothe tube, it will be noted that the tube is oriented for registrationwith a discharge port 64 and that port 64 is lowered to register withand to discharge stockings to tube 65 from which the everted stockingsis received by chamber 66 which has cross bars 67 across the top thereofpreventing accidental ejection of the hose but permitting easywithdrawal therefrom.

Orientation of the tube 24 when necessary to register its dischargeopening with tube 64 is accomplished by the engagement of a cam follower67 with the cam 68 operated by the vertical motion of the tube asimparted by the table 43. Since the tube 24 may be properly registeredwhen disengaged from the dial, rotation by the cam follower may notalways take place; however, if orientation is required, the fixedlocation of the follower 67 on its fixed supporting rods 40 will insuresuch amount of orientation as Will be required.

Referring now to FIG. 10, it will be seen that the timing of operationsin synchronism with the actuation of the machine itself may be readilyaccomplished by the use of a micro switch 100 operated periodically by aearn 101 forming part of the general machine control by being soconstructed and arranged as to close switch 100 whenever a knittingcycle is concluded. The circuit of switch 100 includes a solenoid 102controlling a pneumatic valve 103. Air is supplied to the valve 103 from6 a pressure duct 104. Thus when cam 101 closes switch 100, valve 103 isopened admitting air to cylinder 45, to the assistor jet 63 and to thetube 59. Thus a the finished stocking is released from the cup, theopposite upper end is blown into the tube and the stocking is evertedand discharged.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the structure and operation ofthe invention will be fully understood and the manner in which itoperates to apply tension without torque and delivery with eversion.Obviously in the practice of the invention numerous changes,modifications and the full use of equivalents may be resorted to Withoutdeparture from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine for knitting stockings which aredelivered from the machine as each is knit, a dial, a needle cylinderwhich rotates and oscillates with said dial, an axially extending tubemounted in coaxial relation with said dial, means for closing the upperend of said tube adjacent said dial, means for feeding the stockings asformed over said tube, means for opening the upper end of said tube whenthe knitting cycle fora stocking is completed, and pneumatic means fordelivering the stocking upper last knit end first into the open end ofsaid tube.

2. In a circular knitting machine for knit-ting stockings which aredelivered from the machine as each is knit, a dial, a needle cylinderwhich rotates and oscillates with said dial, an axially extending tubemounted in coaxial relation with said dial, means for feeding thestockings as formed over said tube, pneumatic means operable when theknitting cycle for a stocking is completed for delivering the upper last.kn-it end of the stocking into the upper end of said tube firs-t withearlier knit portions of said finished stocking turning and followinginto said tube, said means being effective to evert and deliver thestockings from the machine with the stockings turned inside out inrelation to the stockings as knit.

3. In a knitting machine for knitting stockings which are delivered fromthe machine as each is knit, a dial mounted to rotate and oscillate, anaxially extending tube mounted in coaxial relation with said dial andover which the stockings are fed as formed, and pneumatic means fordelivering the last knit end of the stocking into the upper end of saidtube first with earlier knit portions of said stocking turning andiollowing into said tube, said means being effective to deliver thefinished stockings from the machine in the manner received by the tubewith the stockings turned inside out from the manner in which they wereknit, said tube being axially movable selectively to close and uncloseits upper end.

4. In a circular knitting machine having a knitting head including adial, a combined tension means and everting hose delivering meansincluding a central delivery tube, and a gravity grab tension device onsaid tube together with means for rotating and oscillating said tensionmeans in synchronism with rotations and oscillations of the materialbeing knit, said last mentioned means including a releasable drivingconnection between said tube and the dial of the knit-ting head of themachine and a driving connection between said tube and said tensiondevice, and means automatically operable at the beginning and end ofeach knit-ting cycle to selectively engage and disengage the tensiondevice from the material being knit, together with means for dischargingmaterial knit by said machine through said tube.

5. In a knitting machine having a needle cylinder; the combination of aturning device for ever-ting articles pressed 01f of the cylindercomprising a tube having an open end adjacent said needle cylinder, andmeans operative during the press-oft cycle of the machine for causingair to flow within said tube in a direction away from said cylinder andsaid open end; take-up means 'for applying tension to each article asthe latter is formed over said tube; and means interconnecting said tubeand take-up means with the needle cylinder to rotate and oscillate withthe latter, thereby to avoid twisting of the article being formed.

6. In a circular knitting machine having a cylinder with needlesslidably mounted therein, a device for everting articles pressed off theneedles comprising a tube concen trio with and extending within theneedle cylinder Where by each article as knit encircles the tube, saidtube having an open end adjacent the needles, and means renderedoperative during the press-oif cycle of the machine for causing air toflow within said tube in a direction away from said needle-s and saidopen end whereby the pressed off article is everted and passed throughsaid tube.

7. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a dial, acentral delivery tube, said needle cylinder providing for the knit-tingof an article about the exterior surface of said tube, tension meanswhich grab a kni-tted article on the exterior surface of the tube, meansfor conveying the knitted article through the interior of said tube, areleasable driving connection between said tube and the dial of themachine which prevents the knitted article from entering the interior ofthe tube while the article is being knitted, and a driving connectionbetween said tube and said tension device.

8. Means for individually everting and delivering tubular knittedarticles from a knitting machine upon completion of the knit-tingoperation including .a needle cylinder and a pneumatic tube having oneend adjacent to the needle cylinder where an article is formed and oneend remote from said needle cylinder, means for delivering the articleas formed around the exterior surface of said tube adjacent said needlecylinder, and means operative upon completion of a knit-ting cycle forindividually delivering the article when completed from the machinethrough said tube from the exterior surface of said tube, said lastmentioned means delivering the article last knit end first into the endof said tube adjacent to the needle cylinder for discharge from the endremote from said needle cylinder.

9. In a circular knit-ting machine, a combined tension means andeverting hose delivering means including a pneumatic tube having one endadjacent to the point where an article is formed and one end remotetherefrom, means for delivering the article as formed around theexterior surface of said tube, means for tensioning the article asformed on the exterior surface of said tube, and mean-s operative uponcompletion of a knitting cycle for individually delivering the articlewhen completed from the machine through said tube last knit end firstinto the end of said tube adjacent to the point Where the article isformed.

10. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a dial,a central delivery tube having one end adjacent to the needle cylinderwhere an article is formed and one end remote therefrom, said needlecylinder providing for the knitting of a-n article about the exteriorsurface of said tube, means for tensioning the article on the exteriorsurface of the tube, means operative upon completion of a knitting cyclefor individually delivering the article when completed :from the machinethrough said tube last knit end first into the end of said tube adjacentto the point where the article is formed, and means for preventing theknitted article from entering the interior of said tube while thearticle is being knit.

11. In the machine of claim 10, means for rotating and oscillating saidtension means with the rotations and oscillations of the article beingknitted to avoid twisting thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,485,230 10/49Alexander et al. 2,636,364 4/53 Moss 66-147 X 2,709,352 5/55 Lawson66-149 2,729,082 1/56 Tew 66-149 2,768,516 10/56 M-oretta 66-153 X2,972,875 2/ 61 St. Pierre 66-150 2,975,622 3/61 Booton et a1 66-1493,036,449 5/62 St. Pierre et al 66-150 3,096,634 7/63 Capes et al 66-150FOREIGN PATENTS 202,394 7/ 56 Australia.

540,839 12/55 Belgium.

558,876 3/57 Italy.

571,936 1/58 Italy.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner.

8. MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALLY EVERTING AND DELIVERING TUBULAR KNITTEDARTICLES FROM A KNITTING MCHINE UPON COMPLETION OF THE KNITTINGOPERATION INCLUDING A NEEDLE CYLINDER AND A PNEUMATIC TUBE HAVING ONEEND ADJACENT TO THE NEEDLE CYLINDER WHERE AN ARTICLE IS FORMED AND ONEEND REMOTE FROM SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER, MEANS FOR DELIVERING THE ARTICLEAS FORMED AROUND THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID TUBE ADJACENT SAID NEEDLECYLINDER, AND MEANS OPERATIVE UPON